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Viewpoint
BUILDING THE NEXT WAVE OF THE LABOR MOVEMENT

By LORRAINE BARCANT

From Occupy Wall Street to #blacklivesmatter and the Arab Spring, the face of activism is changing worldwide. Young people who refuse to settle for less from their leaders and institutions are using technology to fight back and to share their vision of what the world could be. They need our support to turn their dreams into reality.

Organized labor can provide this support. Higher wages and job security provide relief from low-paid internships, part-time work, and to help pay student debt. Real benefits help young people see an actual doctor instead of "asking Dr. Google." Pensions can help secure their long-term future. But the future of unions is precarious unless we engage the next generation of workers. Those born during the 1980's came into the world during labor history's darkest hour - its "Empire Strikes Back" moment. Union defeats made national headlines, and membership declined in tandem with middle class incomes. The public sector was eroded by privatization, its employees scapegoated in the right-wing media. "Millennials" are less likely than ever to know someone who is in a union.

And yet, this April, Pew Research found a majority of Americans age 18-29 view unions favorably. In June, millenials at New York-based Gawker Media, the most valuable blog network on the web, began a union organizing drive. They debated and cast their ballots online, voting 75 percent to 25 percent to join the Writers Guild of America.

If young people have so much to offer, then why does organized labor struggle to engage them? Apathy is not the answer, since young people clearly have many interests, lots of enthusiasm, and a vested concern in economic and social justice. As a volunteer and member-driven organization, we must ask ourselves why they are choosing to spend their time and energy elsewhere.

Fortunately, there are concrete organizational and cultural changes unions can make to fully engage younger members. Educating them about what the union is and does is the first step. Unions must also embrace values that they care about.

Transparency is at the forefront of these values. When access to information is difficult or controlled by insiders, young people disengage. To win them over, processes should be transparent and accessible. Thanks to the Internet, this is easier than ever.

Engagement often begins in smaller steps. Unions offer many opportunities to connect members with causes they care about. Unfortunately, many volunteer-driven nonprofits, unions included, find themselves too short-handed to consider how to properly recruit, retain, and recognize their volunteers. To attract new activists, we must address this issue.

Democracy is another value they hold dear. Young people need to see people they relate to speaking up, negotiating, and running for elected positions. This is critical, as it is democracy that keeps the union from being seen as a benefits package. Leaders should welcome, encourage and mentor new faces, not nurture the status quo.

To engage the next generation, we need to take their values and concerns seriously. We must share our experience, but not our cynicism, and provide them opportunities to develop into leaders in our chapters and communities. The trust we build together will be an investment in our own future. Together, we can close the cultural gap dividing the union from its newest members, while building our organization's capacity to do good.

Lorraine Barcant is an Associate Architect and union officer at the NYC School Construction Authority. She is the chair of Local 375's Next Wave Committee, which seeks to engage new and young members. She is also an advocate for gender equality, climate justice, and civic engagement.

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